John Wall gets double-double in second summer league game

Slow down, John. Let me catch up to you. (NBAE/Getty Images)

He was heckled, his head hit the hardwood so hard that he lay on the ground still for several seconds before sitting up with the help of a team trainer. But nothing could keep the smile from repeatedly overtaking John Wall's face on Tuesday night at UNLV's Cox Pavilion. Nothing could hinder the unbridled joy that poured out of him nearly every time he handed out an assist to one of his teammates.

And, nothing could keep him from celebrating the Wizards' 89-64 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers by wrapping his arm around former University of Kentucky back-court mate Eric Bledsoe and later embracing his coach, Flip Saunders.

Wall's second summer league game had its share of bumpy moments, but despite another bout of turnoveritis, the No. 1 overall pick gave yet another capacity crowd its money's worth. Wall had his first double-double with 18 points and 10 assists, besting his buddy Bledsoe, displaying some toughness and turning doubters into believers -- despite committing eight turnovers for the second game in row.

"Too many turnovers. I don't really care about the points. I care about taking care of the ball. You have to be able to take care of the ball or you'll get blown out," Wall said. "I just have to keep working on it and getting better at it."

Wall had been looking forward to facing Bledsoe in summer league ever since both players got drafted, and the two shared some playful trash talk in the days leading up to the game. On the first play of the game, Wall drove directly at Bledsoe and hit a short floater over him. But as Wall ran back on the floor grinning, Bledsoe went right back at Wall, going around him and making a reverse layup. Kentucky assistant coach and former NBA guard Tony Delk, who led the Wildcats to the 1996 NCAA championship, gave an approving nod and said, "Oh yeah, they gon' battle."

"Basically, it was like, 'You can't stop me.' Just making each other better. Ever since the first day I met him at Kentucky, I said, 'Let's play. We can be brothers off the court, but let's make each other better," Wall said. "Eric is a talented player. We brothers and we love each other off the court, but on the court, we're just trying to make each other better. He feels the same way, just like me."

Bledsoe led the Clippers with 17 points, but he also had 10 turnovers and nearly gave Wizards owner Ted Leonsis heart failure as Leonsis sat courtside next to team president Ernie Grunfeld. Late in the first period, Wall split two defenders and went up over Clippers forward Rod Benson when he got bumped. Bledsoe came soaring for the block but missed, then his shoe landed on Wall's neck as the two hit the ground.

"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, there goes the first brick in the rebuild,' " Leonsis said.

We still bros, even though you scared the owner. (NBAE/Getty Images)

Head athletic trainer Eric Waters helped Wall lean forward and helped walk him to the bench, where Wall complained of a stinging pain in his neck. "When I landed, his [shoe] came down and smashed my head on the ground, so I felt a little dizzy for a minute. I tried to take a step and I stumbled," Wall said.

After the training staff checked his neck, Wall eventually was fine and went to the free throw line, where he immediately heard some comments from the red-and-blue clad heckler and Clipper loyalist, "Clipper Darrell" Bailey. "Welcome to the NBA, John Wall," Bailey shouted, before getting into his favorite chant, "U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi, you ugly! What, what, you ugly!"

Wall calmly drained both free throws and ran back down the floor, looking for the rabid Clippers fan. Bailey kept trying to taunt Wall, screaming "O-Ver-RA-ted! O-Ver-RA-ted!" But those chants grew more and more silent as Wall continued to slice through the Clippers' defense for whirling layups, or hoisting his finger toward the sky before Nick Young hit one his four three-pointers.

"I laugh at it," Wall said of the heckling. "You can't feed into and get into a battle. I have to stay focused on the basketball game and having fun with my teammates. I just laugh it off."

Wall made a difficult, hanging layup and was fouled before he lifted his arms to flex his muscles. With the rout worsening with Wall on the floor, Bailey eventually said, "Hey, John. You stop that."

But he couldn't. Wall's enthusiasm was contagious, and his excitement over the victory could be summarized by his reaction to a dunk by teammate Trevor Booker that resulted in his 10th assist. Wall kicked out on his leg, hopped up and down, then waddled side-to-side as he ran back down the court. "It's fun," Wall said. "I'd rather see my teammates score a lot of points than me. I don't really want to score unless it's an opportunity I have to score or I need to score to help the team win."

Wizards assistant coach Sam Cassell eventually sat Wall for most of the fourth quarter and Bailey revealed that he was a convert. He screamed, "Excuse me, John Wall. I love you!"

Wall then stepped to the foul line to hit another free throw. He's now 19 for 19 from the free throw line in two games, and may have found a new home. In the final minutes, Bailey then turned his attention to Cassell, a former Clipper. "Put John back in the game," Bailey said. "I paid $28. I want to see John Wall."

When told that Bailey loves him now, Wall smiled and said, "That's cool. I love him too. He was a comedian."

We have ourselves an Amazing talent. Bball will be fun again in town.
He has and will make everyone better.
The turnovers will disappear as they are mostly the result of the hectic helter skelter style of the Summer league.
I do agree with posters that JMc has got to start learning position and when tompick his leaps.

I know we are rebuilding and I know its only summer league but I can't help but to think this team will be better than everyone thinks right now. The Wall-Arenas-Hinrich-Young backcourt should be kind of silly... and I really think the front court is very talented albeit young... Should be a fun year.

He took some ill advised shots...made some super difficult shots...he looks like he bulked up big time though....and on defense (which I was surprised by), he was in everyone's grill...overalll, color me semi impressed (gotta remember his competition)

# Nick Young looks like a new man when he can take catch-and-shoot 3s off of John Wall passes. Between Young and JaVale McGee, Wall is already showing his ability to make his new teammates better.

# John Wall isn't just a leaper, he goes to the basket with force, and he can finish after taking a hit. Eric Bledsoe bounced off of Wall before he converted an and-1 in transition. Something else to feel good about: Wall looked much happier after throwing a successfully converted alley-oop pass than he did after making the aforementioned and-1.

Alonzo Gee looked amazing in full-court situations. He's a great rebounder for a guard, can start the break after grabbing a rebound, is a wonderful passer on the break, and is more than capable of finishing the break with a resounding slam. In the half-court, Gee was completely shut down by Wes Johnson, who might be the best perimeter defender I've seen at Summer League thus far.

I didnt catch the game last night....was Young that awful? Looks like he scored 18pts in typical Nick fashion i.e. no assists or rebounding.

He's going to be the best shooter on the roster this season, Flip should utilize him as such.

Posted by: divi3 | July 13, 2010 9:45 AM | Report abuse

Have to disagree divi3. Nick Young is not a shooter, he is a scorer. Normaly, most scorers to not have great jumpers (i.e. Labron and Wade), however there are folks like MJ and Kobe developed a great jump shot stroke over time.

NY "pulls the string" on all of his jumpers. That type of form is not going to be as accurate as a full follow through (i.e. Roger Mason or Kirk H.) Kirk H. is the best jump shooter on the team right now.

Believe it or not Booker has the second best "j" because his stroke is also picture perfect. As for NY, with a "pull the string" type stroke he will have his good nights and more bad nights then Kirk and Booker. Gilbert A. is another one who "pulls the string" on his jumpers also.

"Believe it or not Booker has the second best "j" because his stroke is also picture perfect. As for NY, with a "pull the string" type stroke he will have his good nights and more bad nights then Kirk and Booker. Gilbert A. is another one who "pulls the string" on his jumpers also.Posted by: BulletsFever"

Interesting perspective. There's a lot more to a jump shot than the stroke, however, and most NBA scorers do not have that perfect 'J'. More important IMO is the ability to get the shot off when defended, with shoulders reasonably square and a semblance of balance at release.

How often does a player like Booker get separation from a defender for a classic jump shot? Most of the time he'll be somewhere between the arc and the basket, counting on getting in the air a shade quicker than his opponent, and only partially squared up when the ball is released.

To me a shooter is somebody like Kyle Korver who can be relied on to convert that open 3 pointer. A scorer is somebody who can be relied on to get his points even though he's seldom open for a jumper.

Zero coming back will derail this train; he and Young have got to go. Nick picked up all of DS's bad habits including not finishing at the rack and overdribbling. His upside is finished. He couldn't even dominate the D-League or Euro.

The "Plan" is to finish in the lottery again and build around the core of Wall, Seraphin, Booker, and next year's lottery pick.

Blatche, McGee, and Young(Jury's still out) are young enough and talented to be part of Leonsis's "Wiz Kids" plan. Gil could be be the veteran scorer, but I could also see him being moved before the trade deadline if he plays well enough to show a playoff team he could help them.

Yi and Hilton Armstrong are attempts to see if relatively young guys can live up to the talent they displayed before entering the NBA.

Yi is the guy that could play an interesting role. I could really see him becoming a nice scoring option. A guy with his kind of shooting talent could be an interesting pick and roll partner with Wall. I could also see him getting some minutes at the 5 in a Channing Frye kind of role using his shooting range to pull centers out of the lane.

If the Wiz play him some at the 3, look for Flip to break out the zone to cover up for him.

Leonsis has been very straight forward about how he wants to build a winner. Look for the only other FA moves to be of the same type as we've seen so far this off season. Ted likes to grow his own stars.

We're a year or two from him going into the FA market to find some real help, and that's if he ever does at all...
GM

About Hilton: with that powerful upper body, he's a physical contrast to McGee. Seems to establish defensive position fairly well, but not a productive rebounder in spite of it. Probably effort is the issue. He's not an intense player. He also has had a problem with turnovers and fouls. The sort of stuff that gets you pulled from games where you might otherwise be playing well.

The Wiz IMO need somebody to camp in the low post and help out on defense. Be nice if he could hit a jump hook or a putback. Armstrong has the required wingspan but hasn't had that much success on the defensive boards.

He's been underused or if you prefer, underachieved during his entire career, but that's not always a bad thing -- not much mileage on the guy. At Connecticut, he sat on the bench for a couple seasons and then came from nowhere to the lottery in a weak class of big men. Along with Ndiaye, he gives us two Big East defensive players of the year. Maybe that's worth something.

"Believe it or not Booker has the second best "j" because his stroke is also picture perfect. As for NY, with a "pull the string" type stroke he will have his good nights and more bad nights then Kirk and Booker. Gilbert A. is another one who "pulls the string" on his jumpers also.Posted by: BulletsFever"

I havent seen enough of Booker to form any opinion. But IMHO, anyone expecting Hinrich to be a better shooter this season than NY is in for a disappointment. Pullin strings or no, there is a reason Young sports a better career FG% from 2pt and 3pt range. NY has that shooter's arc on his shots, despite how they are being released.

Hopefully Wall is creating open shots for both of them, causing each to shoot better than they did last season.

Javale has shown absolutely no improvement. More often than not, when he attempts an offensive move he finds himself off balance and out of position (usually under the basket). This results in an array of pathetic shot attempts like reach-back finger rolls from 8 ft or double-clutch, spinning, fadeway jumpers. The reason why he gets out of position, I think, is that he avoids contact rather than creating space by moving into the defender.

What I find strange is that he's got a really nice J, which means that he should be able to catch the ball in the low post, keep it high, turn, elevate, and sink the 6 to 8 footer with regularity.

The problem with Yi playing SF is that he is not quick enough to guard opponent's SF. As for in the role of Frye, unfortunately, he does not have that shooting touch either. Frye shot 46% FG and 42% 3pt in his career, Yi's number is 40% and 34% respectively.

Leonsis has been very straight forward about how he wants to build a winner. Look for the only other FA moves to be of the same type as we've seen so far this off season. Ted likes to grow his own stars.

Yes. He repeated this several times in his interview last night with McHale et al. He is, Leonsis said, unabashedly in "rebuild" mode via the draft and "growing" players route.

(He did throw Gilbert's name in there as an important piece of the franchise though. I didn't have the guts to rewind to find out whether he used the words "franchise player" or just "franchise" when referring to Gil. ;>)

"Alonzo Gee looked amazing in full-court situations. He's a great rebounder for a guard, can start the break after grabbing a rebound, is a wonderful passer on the break, and is more than capable of finishing the break with a resounding slam. In the half-court, Gee was completely shut down by Wes Johnson, who might be the best perimeter defender I've seen at Summer League thus far."
Posted by: merajc86

I am with you on this...Ernie let a potential gem slip through his fingers and we wind up with Cartier Martin instead...
I know it pointless to belabor the issue, but I think this rebuild could be further along with Gee.

JaVale appears to have an uncanny knack for getting himself out of position for defensive rebounds. He also has no concept of "boxing out".

I thought Nick Young played well last night. The question with Nick is: "When will the light go out again?"

You have to assume the best with Blatche with his improved work ethic (which people have been raving about the past two years)...I don't know why you cannot assume he will be an all star level player (esp after he consistently put his talent on display for half of last season)...

I havent seen enough of Booker to form any opinion. But IMHO, anyone expecting Hinrich to be a better shooter this season than NY is in for a disappointment. Pullin strings or no, there is a reason Young sports a better career FG% from 2pt and 3pt range. NY has that shooter's arc on his shots, despite how they are being released.

I'd disagree. Especially on 3 point shooting. I'd take Hinrich's career numbers...especially since he's been getting more shots for a longer period of time. Not to mention the rest of their games...

I am venting on this Gilbert thing for it is truly amazing how some still think that getting rid of him at all cost is one of the surefire steps to winning for the Wizards.

LarryInClintonMD.

Posted by: LarryInClintonMD

Larry, I for one, agree with you. In my opinion it would be simply idiotic to trade Gil away. Can't understand why so many of our so-called fans would want this to happen. We would be left with "WHAT" if we traded Gil away??? I guarantee you he would go to another team and truly light it up. That's always been his mentality when he is counted out.

Gil made a very stupid mistake last season but he's NOT a bad guy.

Still shaking my head as to how pistol toting, Lebron mama hooking up, Delonte West is still riding free with no jail time or consequences.

BB IQ and playing more minutes per game. Nick always seems to be a step slow reacting to everything, but as stated by others, I think his on-ball defense is better than average. It can get him more minutes on the court if he plugs in consistently.

"Still shaking my head as to how pistol toting, Lebron mama hooking up, Delonte West is still riding free with no jail time or consequences."

Posted by: Lisa_R

Delonte kept a low profile, had no gun priors, didn't make a joke of the incident and admitted to nothing (as far I know). I'm not saying it's right, but I think that's why he is still footloose and fancy free. I also wonder if his being diagnosed as bi-polar is a factor. Who knows.

Ted is exactly right- as starving as Wizard fans are for a breath of fresh air, we cannot put too much on Wall's plate too soon. Ted wants to set Wall up for success, not failure. Hopefully, Flip will convince Wall to share the ball-handling duties with Arenas (I believe this is Flip's intent anyway). Wall will become much more valuable when he cuts down on his turnovers (which kills teams late in games and in the playoffs). I'm sure Flip has everything in control for the Wizards this coming season. I foresee a 42 win season heading for the playoffs. You heard it here first: Arenas is primed for his best all-around season as a Wizard. Its time to move forward. Go team!!!!

I'm with you on keeping Gil. Stars are conspiring to team up in Miami, New York, etc. Why would we get rid of one, without getting equal value?

I think a lot of them want to trade Gil for a "bag of magic beans" otherwise known as cap-space. Is there a guarantee that somebody Gil-level would then sign?

Also, who would they target? People were wishing for Melo, but him, CP3, and Amare are already conspiring. They wanted Durant. He re-upped with OKC. They also want Rudy Gay, but he signed an extension.

Gil has a long way to go to be a star again. It's been 3 and a half years. Tracy McGrady was still a star the last time Gil was a star. Time to jump back into reality people. I'm all for supporting him as a Wizard, but lumping him in the same breath as the marquee FA's this summer (or prospective FA's next year) is insane at this point.

i noticed his new pipes in the wrap-up....sounds like he, AB, and Mcgee all did some serious conditioning over the summer. When has that ever happened before? Good signs.

Posted by: divi3

Good to see that they were putting some work in, but just fyi, lifting weights is not necessarily the same as 'conditioning'.

Getting stronger was definitely high on the list for McGee -- though tough so far to tell if he's improved his base which is more important -- but he also needed to work a lot on his wind. Opinions seem to vary so far on the results for that aspect.

The biggest problem with the Wizards over recent years has been attitude, not talent. Gilbert is the best example of this - he has never been focussed on winning games, only on hitting the winning shot. All his great game winning shots came in games where the team frittered away leads by lack of focus on each end of the floor. The former 'big 3' never took a charge or fought for a big rebound when it mattered. That is what it takes to win the the NBA. The young players were just following their leaders. I see no reason to think Gil will be any different when he comes back regardless of talent. Maybe he will be better as a follower than a leader, but I doubt it.
The wiz staff pick guys on their potential and size, speed, arm length and how they dribble around cones (and chairs in Yi's case). They need to find players with heart and toughness who really want to win as much as the fans do. They find out too late that guys like Pech, NY, Javale don't cut it. Maybe do psychological assessments too, like the NFL?
Wall's turnovers were mostly on lost dribbles, it looks like he dribbles too far from his body, and he got stripped. His passing was excellent. Too soon to make any generalizations on him - looks like a star in the making. Javale does not box out and goes flying all over the floor to block a shot leaving his man for an easy putback. No different than day 1. His release point on his jumpshot is too low to shoot when guarded despite his height and arm length. Therefore it will never be a useful move in the post. Kwame had the same problem. It could be good when he is open outside if he contnues to improve accuracy - just like Blatche has. NY looked good last night, but will he ever be able to repeat a good performance? Why does Booker only get 3-4 rebounds per summer league game - especially with the opposition shooting 30%. This worries me. Poor guy never had a guard to play with in collge, so he may have untapped offensive potential. His stroke loooks good. Hilton Armstrong is not a good pick-up - but you need a guy with 6 extra fouls some games. I was hoping there was someone better available.

"Seraphin would seem to be the logical star #2, it's just going to be 2-3 yrs. before we know.

---

Blatche and or McGee could bloom to be the third star, but Star # 3 is probably in next year's draft...
GM

Posted by: flohrtv | July 13, 2010 11:07 AM

That's putting a huge burden on just 2 drafts isnt it? Especially considering the standard odds are that Seraphin will never be 50% the player AB is right now...based just on the odds of avg career for players picked 15th-20th.

Looking at next year, given we cant assume to win the lotto again, what are the chances we get a star player at 5th or 7th or whatever?

IMHO, at the very least, AB and Wall have to have all-star type #'s for this team to expect to do anything in coming years.

And the other hyper-critical thing here is if Wall turns out to be a legit franchise player- you cant win 30 games every year and expect him to stay. Something better than "Seraphin has learned how to dribble and we just signed the 6th pick" has to be cooking by Wall's 3rd season i think.

That game last night was typical of contests where two rivals go head to head. Produces some great moments but overall the play is sloppier than it needs to be. Nick Young was probably just there to get a taste of playing with Wall. I'm sure he liked it -- almost everyone does.

he is better in a half court set...wizards have a team that likes to run...ill fit

Posted by: meraj

what does that have to do with putting a body on someone? they do have to play defense, ya know. not to mention the fact that you can't get all your points (or even most of your points) on the fastbreak. hatin' for no good reason.

We've certainly seen enough in the last decade to understand that all sports are full of stars who fill up the statsheet but who aren't winners. Gilbert uses his underdog chip on shoulder to "prove himself" while his team exits in the first or second round. Everytime he achieves success he self-destructs. He can't handle it.

He's shown this pattern again and again. People who use this as proof that "this time he'll get it" or "this time he's figured it out" are a few clowns short of a circus.

IF Gilbert regained his old form could we be an above .500 team and in the playoffs. Sure.

But by letting him go to truly rebuild we take a great risk -- true stars are hard to come by -- but that's the only real way this franchise could really get in the championship mix again.

I think Booker is a legit PF. He is very strong and lets his long arms to compensate for his height. People can try to post him up but won't be too successful. His game is that of a PF (just not as tall but more athletic then normal PF)

Gil has a long way to go to be a star again. It's been 3 and a half years. Tracy McGrady was still a star the last time Gil was a star. Time to jump back into reality people. I'm all for supporting him as a Wizard, but lumping him in the same breath as the marquee FA's this summer (or prospective FA's next year) is insane at this point.

Posted by: psps23

22 and 7 while acclimating to a new system, new coach, and overcoming rust.

I think Booker is a legit PF. He is very strong and lets his long arms to compensate for his height. People can try to post him up but won't be too successful. His game is that of a PF (just not as tall but more athletic then normal PF)

Oops -- trouble in Golden State. Looks like top choice Epke Udoh has a wrist injury that if it requires surgery will keep him out at least 4 months. The club has been told he may have sustained the injury before he was drafted.

The guy average 6.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in a subpar French league!

So, the logical question would be...what do you like about him?

Posted by: bulletsfan78 | July 13, 2010 1:02 PM

Size and attitude go a long way towards putting a body on someone. From watching the clips and his VC workout, my trepidation is that knocking people around is all he's going to be able to do.

But you are not going to see him getting pushed around the way Javale does, and I am hoping to see him blast MGasul, RHibb, BLopez, etc a few times and set a tone that's been lacking here forever. This kid is like 270 pounds of solid muscle and opposing Cs are going to know it!

Do you watch Maryland games? Better yet, did you watch that game? They ran a zone against him the entire day and he was double triple teamed. Also, the main person on him was Jordan Williams, not Milbourne. Finally, one more word from recap:

Trevor Booker shook off missing his first 12 shots to score nine of his 10 points in the final 7:03 as Clemson broke a three-game losing streak.

"Grunfeld put his neck on the line for Seraphin, if his neck wasn't already on the line. He didn't draft him. He traded for him."

If Seraphin was having the summer league that Caracter is, we'd all be pissing ourselves over it. Caracter is tearing it up and what scares me is he may be a few years ahead of Seraphin on the offensive end. IMHO, you dont trade up to get a guy at 17th just to be banger, so we'll want to see some scoring ability when we finally see the Frenchman in action.

If Seraphin was having the summer league that Caracter is, we'd all be pissing ourselves over it. Caracter is tearing it up and what scares me is he may be a few years ahead of Seraphin on the offensive end. IMHO, you dont trade up to get a guy at 17th just to be banger, so we'll want to see some scoring ability when we finally see the Frenchman in action.

Posted by: divi3

Don't be scared. Caracter is obviously a few years ahead of Seraphin on the offensive end. He's also a few years ahead of JaVale on the offensive end. He's also tearing it up against Summer Leaguers.

As long as Seraphin can finish on breaks and -oops, he'll already be on par with JaVale. If he displays an active interest in learning post moves, he might be ahead ;-)

We also need to find out whether Seraphin can play and does he have any instincts.

Baby Shaq from Greece is huge. How many years ago was he drafted? He does well internationally but has yet to make it in the NBA. We just trade Veremenko or however you spell his name AFTER years of waiting...and waiting, for nothing. Veremenko was a second round pick. Seraphin is a mid-first. I hope Ernie hit a home run, but.....

"Don't be scared. Caracter is obviously a few years ahead of Seraphin on the offensive end."

Can you remind me why we drafted Seraphin then? Caracter is 6'9" 280 and is currently clearing the boards in the Summer League. What areas should we expect Seraphin to be the better player right now? Defensively and rebounding? Or did we pick him more for his body (not necessarily a bad thing)?

"Can you remind me why we drafted Seraphin then? Caracter is 6'9" 280 and is currently clearing the boards in the Summer League. What areas should we expect Seraphin to be the better player right now? Defensively and rebounding? Or did we pick him more for his body (not necessarily a bad thing)?"

Posted by: divi3 | July 13, 2010 2:00 PM

Didn't Caracter have issues (weight, attitude, work ethic, etc.) that lead to his drop to the second round? He's looking good for sure, but that doesn't mean that Seraphin won't.

Here's the sampling from DraftExpress of why all teams had Caracter going late in the second. Very skilled, no question, but with legit questions about the transition to the pro game.

"Following a very tumultuous two seasons at Louisville that made many wonder if how much of a future he has in basketball, Derrick Caracter transferred to UTEP and sat out a year as required."

"Plagued by weight, conditioning, and attitude issues at Louisville, Caracter appears to have figured things out for the most part at UTEP, even if he still has room for improvement in many areas."

"Caracter uses a great combination of finesse and power when operating with his back to the basket, though there are some concerns projecting to the next level, as the release point on most of his moves is low, and he doesn’t do a great job getting separation, having well below average explosiveness for an NBA big man."

"Defensively, Caracter has an improved effort level and focus this season, though there are still many things holding him back from being an effective defender. In the post, he actually shows decent fundamental in man-to-man situations, getting into his opponent and using his strength to hold position well. That said, with very little lift and a weak standing reach, he’s very prone to being shot over, and can be outmaneuvered by quicker opponents as well."

"Things get worse on the perimeter, where his fundamentals aren’t great and he’s very slow of foot moving laterally, looking like a fish out of water when matched with someone resembling a stretch four. This is of great concern in projecting Caracter to the pros, given the makeup of the power forward position in the NBA, and could very well push him to the center spot instead, which he is clearly undersized for. Caracter also isn’t great as a help defender, not having the athleticism to really do much on the weakside, as evidenced by his low steals and blocks numbers."

There are definitely thing to like about Caracter, and for a team like the Lakers, taking a chance on him in the second is a no-brainer. But don't get overly blown away by his Summer League stats. He's going predominantly against guys who are about the same level as the guys he faced in college.

First of all, I didn't say I fully agreed with "the plan". I was just pointing out that Leonsis has been real clear about the direction that he has directed Grunfeld to move in. Any FA signings will be more of the same, fairly young guys, signed on the cheap, hoping to find a bargain basement keeper. Looking for cheap bricks...

The team's direction has been pretty clear since the deadline deals, there is no way the surviving Pollins traded away two of the team's stars without Leonsis approving the deal.

In two games Booker has shown the ability to play in space and has a nice stroke from more range then he ever showed in college. He's also quick enough to guard many NBA 3's. If a team dares to put a guard at the 3, he'll post the guy all day. And he's quick enough and long enough to hound the guy like crazy on D. And running out on the break the guy is super fast and fills the lane well.

Folks, the NBA is all about matchups, Booker is a potential matchup nightmare. I've watched the man for 4 years in the ACC. The man's a player,at any level, period. Mark him down as a keeper.

Seraphin is probably about as raw as McGee, but he appears to be anything but soft. He maybe a gamble, but playing with a guy like Wall, he's going to learn real quick. These "Wiz Kids" are going to play better D and then get out and run. From all accounts Seraphin is geared to play that game. Remember he's about as young as Wall, they'll growup together.

Slow-mo some of these first two games, stop and rewind. McGee is not cheating out on the boards as some have been saying on here. The kid's just out running EVERYONE, including guards, down the floor.

When you're on the floor with a guy like Wall, you're going to run hard with your head up and fill a lane. We're seeing it already in these two summer league games.

Larry knows what I'm talking about, some points will just flat out find a way for their team to get in the open floor and run. Wall's got that ability at the highest level of basketball and he's only 19. Amazing...

Blatche and Booker both have a lowpost game, why is a back to the basket, lowpost game required from McGee? He needs to quit trying to block a shot on every pump fake on D.

But offensively I see him as far more of a pick and roll guy with Wall. And when you've got a center that runs the floor like that you have an automatic mismatch on the break.

What's wrong with having a guy that can go up and get the ball?

Bledsoe better then Wall... Out played Wall??? Got to be kidding me, he was playing point? Right. His team got blown out. Didn't they? Wall was playing point for the team that was smiling at the end, wasn't he?

Bledsoe better then Wall... Out played Wall??? Got to be kidding me, he was playing point? Right. His team got blown out. Didn't they? Wall was playing point for the team that was smiling at the end, wasn't he?

Enough said...
GM

Posted by: flohrtv | July 13, 2010 2:23 PM | Report abuse

i guess they prefered Bledsoe's 10 turnovers to Wall's 8. JW had 5 steals too, and more assts than turnovers.

Did everyone forget about Gil? He should be in the 'best shooter' conversation. Now that he's not going to look to shoot challenged shots so often, he may wind up being even more productive than he used to be.

I really believe ppl are sleeping on Gil. He's going to lead us in scoring and his point should come easier. I'm not ready to call Gil and Wall Dumars and Isiah yet but....

Wall is turning the ball over too much, but he's trying to adjust his speed to the game. He's just got to realize that with his quicks and instinct he's just got to let the game come to him a little. He's tried to speed his game up and is running a little out of control at times.

Interesting to see Sam I Am signaling him to slow down...

He'll adjust and be just fine. He's already showing a real knack for canning his free throws, which is really great for a guy that goes to the line a lot, and will be handling the ball down the stretch.
Interesting to hear McHale commenting about Wall setting the goal to go to the line 10 times a game. Another scoring point, God forbid...

O'Mark, Gil's got to be drooling. Not only will he get a lot of catch and shoot chances, he'll get a chance to drive on a D that's already out of position. A lot of "and one" chances at the rim.

He'll also get the chance to keep his legs fresher since Wall will carry the playmaking and distributing role. Plus guard the quick guys that have bedeviled Gil.

With all the young bigs the Wiz will have in camp, I'd love to see Kevin McHale come in and work with them as a quest instructer.

McHale's got a history with Flip and his staff. He had some of the best post footwork I've ever seen, got to wonder if he can pass it on as an instructer...
GM

The only issue I had with Wall's turnovers last night was when he tried going tit for tat with Bledsoe. There was once or twice he tried to take it to Bledsoe and turned it over (one was a spin move in the lane and the other was trying to split the defense). Outside of those, I am not too worried about him...How many times will he get his pocket cleaned like that?? He will be fine in terms of turnovers (esp. such an unstructured environment such as the summer leagues). If he can keep to 3 turnovers a game, he will be fine (compared to how much he will be controlling the ball, 3 is not bad)...

"I feel ya...but I'd rather AB lead us in scoring because it would mean the offense is happening 15ft and closer rather than perimeter oriented as we've seen for years. "

That's hardly a given, considering Blatche's penchant for launching jumpers. His shooting percentage has hovered around 48% the last 3 seasons. For a 7 footer, that hardly suggests a player who does most of his work close to the rim.

That's hardly a given, considering Blatche's penchant for launching jumpers. His shooting percentage has hovered around 48% the last 3 seasons. For a 7 footer, that hardly suggests a player who does most of his work close to the rim.

Posted by: kalo_rama | July 13, 2010 3:47 PM

A big impetus to his breakout last season was that once he became a starter, his game moved inside for whatever reason. Was well chronicled on truthaboutit or whichever site and for one stretch he was shooting more like 55%FG. So to expect that he remains more inside oriented is expecting him to continue what worked so well for him last season.

"Blatche and Booker both have a lowpost game, why is a back to the basket, lowpost game required from McGee?"

It's not "required" of him (although it would certainly be an asset, given that his combo of size, length, and explosiveness would make a post game from him a lot harder to guard than one from Blatche or Booker). But if he's not going to develop one then it's incumbent on him to stop trying to play like he has one.

Looks like 2 buckets came from outside 15ft, which imho is just....lovely! That's what I want from PF position, a guy who can drain midrange jumpers in your grill all day, but scores inside as soon as you tighten up.

How would McGee's post game be a lot harder to guard then Blatche or Booker's? Since he doesn't have one, you can't presume to say it would be better, or worse if he did.

Wow Kal... one of your great statements...stick to mindless little tit for tats, when you try and talk about basketball, your complete lack of any understanding of the subject matter is glaring...

Booker has spent 4 yrs. playing with his back to the basket in college, since his role will be as a matchup 3 & 4, we are to assume that Flip will be intelligent enough to find Booker matchups where he can exploit a mismatch in the post.

McGee's improvements need to come at the defensive end. If he were to become an outstanding defensive player and rebounder, Flip be able to utilize his talents in the half court game as a pick and roll guy that can fly to the rim.

McGee's lack of an offensive post game is down on the list of to do's for the kid.
GM

"Also, didn't Brandon Jennings struggle overseas as well before he came here and did darn well from himself?Posted by: merajc86"

It was a weird situation. Jennings had trouble getting on the court. But when scouts saw him at practice, he was often dominating. Might have been a coach who thought a HS-age kid should be on the bench.

Turned out well for Brandon, because the one thing he had trouble with on offense -- the 3 point shot -- was an area where he really improved. On the other hand, if he'd spent the season at Arizona the way he was intended to, he would probably have been taken fourth or fifth instead of tenth.

"Judging by the youtube clips, the French pro league isnt any better competition than summer league."

Different sort of competition. The French pro league plays a real schedule for a real title. Teams are often built around players with 5-10 years playing together there and in international competition.

The Summer League is a series of extended scrimmages. Guys like Blatche or Nick Young show up for a game or two and go home. Players like Alonzo Gee often look like All-Pros.

Now if this guy likes dishing dimes like he has shown he should work quite well with GA and Young. He reminds me of Isiah. Not quite as advanced but he may get there. And Nick should not go anywhere. Why do we think everytime we get someone new that automatically makes the guy that we were rooting for before the new guy got there trade bait? We as fans use to root for Nick, now we want him traded and he is no long a good player just because we have John? Would if john gets hurt? That does happen you know. Besides, with no main scoring small forward all of our guards will have to contribute in order for us to win.

"How would McGee's post game be a lot harder to guard then Blatche or Booker's? Since he doesn't have one, you can't presume to say it would be better, or worse if he did."

Can I presume to say you're a clown? I think I can.

"It's not "required" of him (although it would certainly be an asset, given that his combo of size, length, and explosiveness would make a post game from him a lot harder to guard than one from Blatche or Booker).

Posted by: kalo_rama | July 13, 2010 4:02 PM

IF Blatche developed a decent post game (something that I'm well on record as saying is unlikely), he'd be a lot harder for most defenders to handle than Booker (who's 6' 7") or Blatche (who's basically floor bound unless he gets a running start and needs to pump fake his way into most interior shots). IF you can't grasp the basic fact of that, then you're not only to dim to be discussing basketball, you're too dim to be trusted with a computer and Internet connection.

It really helps if you read the whole thing before making an ass out of yourself. (Although if the end result is making an ass out of yourself in any event, I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?).

About Summer League stars: players who excel in the free-wheeling environment often get tagged 'Summer League' by other players for the rest of the year, as in "Hey Summer League, whyn't you try one of them whoopsy-doopsies when I in there, knowwhati'msayin?"

McGEE has very limited b-ball experience and appears to be gaining very little b-ball sense. He doesn't use his length [a tremendous asset] by extending on drives to the basket just as one example. His shot was stuffed several times by a 6'11' center last night because he came up on the rim from his chest rather than from his elbows. The kid's got a LOT to learn. I sure hope this season's hard knocks are gonna' net great progress where he's concerned.

Looks like 2 buckets came from outside 15ft, which imho is just....lovely! That's what I want from PF position, a guy who can drain midrange jumpers in your grill all day, but scores inside as soon as you tighten up.

Posted by: divi3

Also notable because Yi went for 20pts and 19rbs, with 12 of them being offensive rebs.

"The Bobcats had been closing in on a deal that would've sent Chandler and Boris Diaw to Toronto for Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans. Chandler was told he was being sent to the Raptors by his agent, but the deal dissolved."

"Still shaking my head as to how pistol toting, Lebron mama hooking up, Delonte West is still riding free with no jail time or consequences."

Posted by: Lisa_R

Delonte kept a low profile, had no gun priors, didn't make a joke of the incident and admitted to nothing (as far I know). I'm not saying it's right, but I think that's why he is still footloose and fancy free. I also wonder if his being diagnosed as bi-polar is a factor. Who knows.

Posted by: tgif11 | July 13, 2010 11:44 AM | Report abuse

Also, I believe West's guns were in MD, not DC...that's a huge difference.

Well, that didn't take long. I hope the bball fans in Charlotte enjoyed that playoff cameo. That deal certainly makes it look like the Bobcats may be back to their penny-pinching ways (I can't imagine they wanted Dampier for anything other than his $13 mill, non-guaranteed contract).

On the flip side, I seem to recall that Chandler and Haywood aren't exactly fond of each other. Should make things interesting in the Mavs locker room. (For his sake, I hope Chandler isn't planning on getting his hair braided.)

$21M ish on Haywood and Chandler and watch Mahinmi get all the minutes.....

Unless Chandler gets bounced again to Minnesota for Jefferson, which seems unlikely now.

"But the Dallas-Minnesota talks hit another roadblock, sources said, when the Mavericks insisted that the Wolves take on the contracts of DeShawn Stevenson and Matt Carroll in addition to the pieces Minnesota really wanted: Erick Dampier's non-guaranteed $13 million contract and two conditional future first-round picks."

Dude, D-Shawn messes up more deals! Nobody wants that guy. And his contract isn't even that bad. 1yr $4M.

"The Bobcats had been closing in on a deal that would've sent Chandler and Boris Diaw to Toronto for Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans. Chandler was told he was being sent to the Raptors by his agent, but the deal dissolved."

"On the flip side, I seem to recall that Chandler and Haywood aren't exactly fond of each other. Should make things interesting in the Mavs locker room. (For his sake, I hope Chandler isn't planning on getting his hair braided.)"

I thought the beef was between Chandler and Kwame (for the remark that Chandler made after the draft that he should have been #1).

But anyway, Haywood will not be the highest paid center on his team, again.

This summer league is the worst thing that can happen to a young player. Behind-the-back passes, highlight-reel dunks, full court passes, hot dog moves -- everything useless for a real NBA game. It's all slop, not fundamentals and a bad thing to practice.

Miami has apparently agreed to terms with Ilgauskas and is planning to add Juwan Howard. Meanwhile, the Nets signed Jordan Farmer for 3 years at $12 mil to play behind Devin Harris. Other Nets signings include center Johan Petro and swingman Anthony Morrow. They'll have about $14 mil left in cap space.

The Lakers are talking to Raja Bell in case they can't sign Shannon Brown.

J. Wall, McGee, and Nick look really good. If only the Wiz had a real offense. I've watched 2 games and have only seen a post player get the ball 2 times. How the hell are they going to develop a post game when not only do they not post up but they aren't goingto to get the ball. Wiz don't even look. How pathetic is that.

Flip has his son on the bench, Wes son on the bench and Tapscott recuiting. If that is not a loser group. Can we get a big man coach. McHale come help us out because you know Flip is taking all the credit for developing KG.

The Plan: It sounds good and it might be what Ted thinks is the right way to go. Nobody knows how things will pan out.

But here is what I know. OKC will not win a championship without another NBA star on the team with Durant, possibly two more stars may be needed.
LarryInClintonMD

Larry, you have a perfectly reasonable viewpoint about Gil, but your assessment of OKC is a bit thin. It's quite possible they already have the extra 'stars' they need on the team already in Green, Westbrook and Harden, all players they drafted.

Gil might prove to be the additional star they need and he might not. Obviously they need to see a change in his overall attitude, maturity and willingness to play defense. If they don't see that, or if he doesn't take to the move to 2-guard, it behooves them to get rid of them when they can get a suitable deal. Some times it doesn't have to do with how good a particular player is, it has to do with how they fit into the whole. Any assertion that Gil is ready to be that player is an assumption not a given.

"Lets assume John Wall reaches star level. By himself, we just become a playoff and out contender.

I cannot agree that if Gilbert appears to gain his star level back and shows mature professionalism as well that we trade him for supporting players.

Are we banking on that McGee and/or Blatche become legit NBA stars? Are we banking on that we will get a NBA star for Gilbert? Are we banking on we draft another NBA star like Wall?"

Do people really not get this?

The "plan" is pretty obvious: Leonsis is banking on spending the next couple of seasons giving John Wall every opportunity to prove himself to be a star NBA PG, the kind who makes guys around him better, the kind that big-time scorers want to play with. The plan is to spend that time using John Wall as a lure to get FAs of consequence to want to play in D.C., then use the mass of cap room that they're preserving by acquiring guys on short-term contracts that expire in the next year or two to acquire some real players, either through FA or taking advantage of other teams looking to clear cap space by trading guaranteed contracts. And if, in the interim, they end up with one or two more lottery picks, all the better.

That's why Leonsis isn't signing or trading for guys with big, long-term contracts now. Because if he did, he'd be dealing from a position o weakness; he wouldn't be getting meaningful players who wanted to come here to part of the team trying to win, he'd be getting guys looking to cash in on his deep pockets. That's called The Snyder Strategy and we know how well that works.

Nick, Wall, McGee look really good. The biggest problem is Flip and his dumb offense. In 2 games the ball gets passed to the post 2 TIMES. That's right 2 times in 2 games. Even when players post they don't get the ball. Here is the Wiz offense under Flip. McGee set pick at the top and roll to the basket. Ted force Ernie to hire a big man coach. McHale loves McGee talent. Don't let Flip fool you into believing he made KG. Flip has his son, Unseld JR and Tapscott still on the staff. What a waste. GO FIND A REAL BIG MAN COACH OR THIS TEAM WILL LOOK THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.

I think that Ernie Grunfeld is doing a heck of a job putting together a team. I'm all for the youth movement. I'm so glad that he's not considering signing those self-acclaimed "super star" free agents on the market. That crap never works. (see the Miami Heat)

I think that Ernie Grunfeld is doing a heck of a job putting together a team. I'm all for the youth movement. I'm so glad that he's not considering signing those self-acclaimed "super star" free agents on the market. That crap never works. (see the Miami Heat)

John Wall makes everyone's job easier. Summer League Game two, in a great battle against his former Kentucky teammate Eric Bledsoe; Wall gets 18 points, 10 assists, 8 turnovers and we win by 25..……while Bledsoe gets 17 points and 10 turnovers and lose by 25.

Now, resign Shaun Livingston (3~4/year ~ $12~15mil) and get Luis Scola out of Houston. Luis Scola plus Shaun makes us a legitimate 42/42 team or better while we are likely a 25~32 game winning team right now. Sign and Trade Josh Howard (3 year ~ $15~$18mil) to Houston for Scola. Use the assets you have to get better and get a BIG who can score, defense, rebound and is a pure Argentine Baller.